Check-row corn-planter



(ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

B. PHELPS. CHECK 110W CORN PLANTI'BR.

No. 250,749. Patented Dec. 13,1881.

(ModeL) 3 Sheets--Sheet 3.

B. PHELPS.

CHECK ROW CORN PLAN'IBR.

No. 250,749. Patented Dec. 13,1881.

Ji fy '2, a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3, an en- BYRON PHELPS, OF

ATENT rrren.

MOLINE, ILLINOIS.

CHECK-ROW CORN-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 250,749, dated December13, 1881.

Application filed October 28, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, BYRON PHELPS, residing at Moline, in the county ofRock Island and State ofIllinois, and acitizen oftheUnited States, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Check-Row Corn-Planters, ofwhich the following; is a full description, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a top or plan view,showing'the front or runner portion of a corn-planter; Fig.

larged detail, being a top or plan view of the intermediate devices foroperating the reciprocating seed-slide bar; Fig. 4, an enlarged detail,showing a seedbox, cord lever and support, and seed-slide operatingdevices in elevation, the seed-slide and driving-shaft in section, andthe frame partly in section and partly broken away, with the runnerremoved; Fig. 5, an enlarged detail, showing a side clevation of thereciprocating head or center connection and its arms for advancing thegear which operates the seeding devices; Fig. 6, an enlarged detail,being a side elevation ofthe gear-wheels through which the seed-slidebar is reciprocated; Figs? and S,enlarged details of the cord or wirelever; Fig. 9, a side elevation, showing the wire or rope and the devicefor stretching and anchoring the same; Figs. 10, 11, 12, 13, details,showing one form of knot and the manner of attaching to the wire orrope; Figs.14,15, 16, 17, details, showing another form of knot and themanner of attaching to the wire or rope; Figs. 18,19, side and edgeviews, respectively, of another form of knot; Figs. 20, 21, side andedge views of another form of knot.

This invention relates to the construction and operation ofwhatareknownor terinet checkrow corn planters, or corn-planters which are operatedby means of a rope having knots thereon extending across the field; andits objects are, to increase the working qualities of the machine bymaking each side independent in its operations when engaged with therope or wire, to insure a better and more perfect movement of thereciprocating seed-slide bar, to prevent side swing or movement of therope or wire from affecting the movements of the wire or cord lever, andto simplify generally (ModeL) the construction and operation of theseveral parts by which the seed-slide bar is given its reciprocatingmovement. These objectsI accomplish by the construction and arrangementof mechanism which I will now proceed to describe in detail, afterwardpointing out the improvements in the claims.

In the drawings, A A represent section or parts of the divided shaft; BB, the cordlevers or arms; 0 O, the supporting standards or posts; D D,the crossbars forming guides for the levers B; E E, the cord or wirepulleys; F F, the rear guides for the cord or wire; G, the centerconnection or head; H, the pushbar or arm for operating the gear-wheel;I, the guiding-strap; J, the large gear-wheel K, the small gear-wheel;L, the crank-strap; M, the seed-slide bar; N, the seed-boxes; O O,longitudinal frame-pieces; P, the cross-pieces of the frame; Q, therunners; R, the seedtubes at heel of the runner; S, the returningspring;T, the connecting-link, with the head or block G; U, the support or barforming the wire-stretcher; V, the check-cord; W, the check-knots; a,the pins at the inner ends of the shafts A A b, the engaging portion ofthe levers B; c c, the lower portion of the levers B; d, the pivot ofthe section 0 c of the lever B; e, the connecting-link; f, the crank onthe outer end of the shafts A A; g, the arm on the head or block G forthe push-bar H; h, the pins on the gear-wheel J; t, the spindle or axisof the wheel J; j, the lip on the free end of the latch H; is, thecrank-pin on the wheel K; l, the openings in the ends of the head orcenter piece; m, the engaging-face of the openings 5; a, the arm throughwhich the head or center piece is returned by the spring S; 0 0, thestaking-pins; p, the rope or cord for holding the bar or wire-stretcherU down; q, the eye for attaching the cord B; r, the cent r bar of theknots; s s, the openings; t, the recess in the bar or center piece, 1.

Each section or half of the shaft extends from or near the center of theframe across its respective half of the front of the machine, and attheir inner ends are supported in suitable bearings, one on eachcross-piece P, and their outer 611(18331'6 supported in suitablebearings in the standards 0. The outer ends project beyond theirbearings a sufficient distance for the attachment of the cranks f, andtheir inner ends support the head G and form a divided spindle therefor,by which the head can be moved from either section independent of theother section, on which the head will turn.

The lever or cord arm B is made. in two parts, connected by the joint(I, which joint is transverse of thelower half of the arm, so that theupper half has a lateral swing or movement. The upper half, I), isprovided with a suitable fork or opening to receive the checkrope andcause the knots to engage the levers in the usual manner, a lever beingprovided for each side of the machines. The lower section or part ofthese levers B has two arms,

c 0, standing at right angles to each other, to the outer end of one armof which is pivoted or hinged the upper part, I), the connection, asshown, being made by a transverse recess or slot cut or formed in theend of 0, which receives a tongue on the end of b, so that when the twopieces I) c are united by a pin or bolt, the part b is free to swingtransversely, and yet have the connection rigid in the direction of thethrow of the lever as a whole. Each of these levers as a whole ispivoted to the side of each standard 0 by a bolt or pin passing througha suitable opening located at the center of the arms 0 c, the bolt orpin forming a pivot on which the arm or lever B can swing forward andback, as usual. The arm or portion 0 of each lever B is connected by alink, 6, with one of the cranks f, which cranks are firmly secured oneto each outer end of the shaft-sections A A at the proper point to bringthem in line with their respective arms 0, so that each arm and crankwill have corresponding movements and will be raised and lowered inunison, the advance of each lever B raising its arm 0 and thecrankftherewith connected, and giving the shaft-section to which thecrank is attached a forward turn or movement to the extent of the throwof the lever, and the return movement of the shaftsection acting to givethe crank and arm a reverse movement and return the lever to its normalcondition.

The standards O are located one at each side of the machine, and areattached at their lower ends to the rear bar, 0, or other portion of theframe in any suitable manner, and extend up a sufficient distance fortheir upper ends to receive cross-pieces D D, one for each standard,which pieces form guides for the movement of the lever back and forth.

The pulleys E E are mounted one on each forward end of each cross-piecein the usual manner, and to the rear end of each cross-piece is securedone of the guides F F, the guides and pulleys being of the usualconstruction, and are for the purpose of keeping the cord or rope in itsproper relation.

The center block or head, G, is located between the cross pieces or barsP P, and has a central longitudinal opening to receive the inner ends ofthe sections A A, by which it is supported, as before described. Eachend of the block has a notch or recess extending from the periphery tothe shaft-opening and forming an opening, Z, to receive the studs orpins (0 a, a pin entering each opening, so that it' will engage the facem of the opening and cause the spool to be moved with the shaft whenadvanced. This block or center piece, G, has an upwardly-projecting armor post, g, to the outer end of which is pivoted one end of the latch orpush bar H, which bar has its free end arranged to engage with the pinsh on the wheel J. The push-bar H is of the proper length to extend fromthe post or arm g to the wheel J, and have its free end rest on thewheel just back of a pin, it, when the parts are in their normalcondition or at rest. .The free end of this'bar,.as shown, is formedwith aprojecting lip or flange, j, to rest on top of the pins, and theend of the bar beneath such lip has a face to properly engage the pinsh; and in order to insure the withdrawal of the latch H withoutreturning the wheel J, the side thereof which would come in contact withthe next succeeding pin h on the return movement may be cut away so asto clear such pin. The free or engaging end of this latch H is kept inproper relation to engage the pins in succession by the strap I, one endof which is pivoted to the free end of the lever and the other to thespindle or axis of the wheel J, so that the arc of the circle in whichthefree end ofH moves must always be the same, and such end must startfrom and stop at points in this are of-a circle in each movement whichcorrespond to or coincide with the limits of the reciprocating movementof the latch H, so

that the distance traversed by the wheel will be the same at eachadvance of the latch H. The strap I is of the proper length tobring thepivot for the free end of H in a vertical line coinciding with the arcof the circle in which the pins h move, and the form and arrangement ofthis strap and of the latch and their pivotal connections are such as tomaintain the free end of the latch in the proper horizontal plane toengage the pins h, so as to advance the wheel J.

The wheel J is provided with a series of cogs on its periphery, and ismounted loosely on a vertical axis or spindle, z', around which itrevolves in a horizontal plane. The upper face of this wheel carries thepins h, with which the free end of the latch H engage, which pins arelocated at regular intervals apart in an arc of a circle correspondingto that described by the end of H, and are so arranged that the distancebetween them corresponds to the distance traversed by the latch. Asshown, the location of these pins and their arrangement relative to thelatch and the distance the latch is advanced causes the latch to advancethe This wheel J engages a smaller wheel, K, havin g cogs on itsperiphery, the diameter of which is such as that its circumference willbe twice the distance of the circumference of the wheel J' between thepins h, so that advancing the wheel J a quarter-revolution, or thedistance between each pin, will give a haltrevolution to the wheel K.This wheel K is mounted loosely upon a vertical spindle or axis, 2'',and rotates in a horizontal plane, and its upper face is provided with acrank-pin, k, to which is pivoted one end of a strap or bar, L, theother end of which is bent down and pivoted to the seed-slide bar, sothat such bar will be given a reciprocating movement by the revolutionof the wheel K.

The spindles i i of the wheels J K are located upon a suitable baseorsupport secured to the bars P, which support, between it and the face ofthe bars, is so formed as to leave a longitudinal opening for thepassage of the seed-slide bar.

Theseed-slide bar M may be of any suitable form of construction which,when reciprocated, will operate the seeding mechanism. The seedboxes N,the frame-work consisting of the bars 0 0 PP, the runners Q, andseed-tubes It, may be of any of the usual forms of construction andarrangement for such parts. Only so much of a complete planter is shownas is necessary to illustrate the invent-ion.

The spring or spring-bar S has two sides or arms, and is secured at oneside to the crossbar P, and its other side is left free, and to its endis connected one end of a link or rod, T, which link extends forwardbeneath the seedslide bar, and is connected at its other end with adownwardly-projecting arm or post, a, located on the opposite side ofthe head or center G to the arm g,- and the spring S is so arranged thatit will act to throw the head G back when the limit ofits advancemovement is reached, which return movement, by reason of the contactbetween the shoulder m and the pin on the inner end of each section A A,re-

turns the lever B to its normal position, to be again advanced by theaction of the next cordknot to rotate one section of the shaft andadvance the wheel J through the latch H.

The cord or wire stretcher or support U is madefrom asinglepiece ofmaterial ofsuflicient length for the purpose of drawing the cord or wiretaut and at the proper elevation for use. The end of this support whichrests on the ground has an opening for the passage of a stake or pin, 0,and its other end has one end of a cord, 9, secured thereto, the otherend of which cord can be secured to a stake or pin, 0,

- and to this end of the support is attached, in

the proper elevation for use, which operation at the same time draws therope or wire taut, or sutficiently so to insure the operation of thecheckrowing devices; and when the rope is drawn to the required pointthe stretchers U can be held in position by means of the rope p andstake or pin 0. By this arrangement a firm support for the wire isprovided, which serves also as a means by which the wire or cord can bequickly and easily strained and drawn to the proper position for use,and which will hold the wire in position and answer all the requirementsof an ordinary anchor, allowing the wire to swing over when the planterapproaches the end of the field, and at the same time it is very simple,cheap, and durable, and can be readily and easily adjusted to stretchthe wire and allow the planter to pass to the end of the row.

Several varieties of knots are shown having a central cross piece orbar, with openings each side thereof for the passage of the cord andsecuring the knotin position thereon. In the form shown in Figs. 10, 11,12, and 13 the knot has four wings or flanges, two of which, 0", formthe working portion, or the portion which engages the lever, and theother two, 1*, the

guides for keeping the knot in position on the wire or cord. In thisform of construction the guide-wings 1' have transverse openings 8located on each side of the base of the workingwings r, and one side orwing, 1", has a notch or opening, t, to receive the wire or rope. Thisknot is attached bypassing the rope or wire through one of the openings8, thence up over the wing 1', having the notch t, then down through theother opening 8, the rope lying in suitable longitudinal grooves formedin the wings r and merging into the openings s, which grooves extend tothe edge of the guide wings. or flanges and fit over the wire or cordand preventside movement of the knot, while end movement is prevented bythe pressure of the rope against the sides of the notched wing r, sothat the knot is held firmly in position.

Fig. 10 shows the knot in elevation with all the wings turned orstanding edgewise. Fig. 11 shows it in elevation with an edge view ofthe engaging-wings and a face view of the supporting-wings and the knotor cord grooves Fig. 12, an end elevation, showinga face view ot' theengaging-wings and an edge view of the guide-wings; Fig. 13, avcrticallongitudinal section of the knot in the position shown in Fig. 10. Fig.12 shows the position of the knot when in use. 14, 15, 16, and 17 theknot is of a tubular or circular shape, and the body of the knot isprovided with transverse openings, which correspond, essentially, to theopenings 8, which openings are separated by a central portion or bar,one edge of which center bar and the face of the knot has a groove ornotch corresponding to the notch t, to receive the rope, and the face ofknot opposite the grooved side has at In the form shown in Figs.

each end recesses extending from the exterior to or near the center andopening into the holes 8, to serve as guides for the rope. Thisconstruction differs from the one just described in having the body ofthe knot entire, or nearly so, instead of having some portions removedso as to form wings, and it is secured to and held in position on thecheck rope or wire in the same manner as the knot first described.

Figs. 18 and19 show, respectively, aface and edge view of a disk form ofknot having two openings, separated by a center or bar, the end of therope or wire sections passing over and around the center or bar throughthe openings, and being wound around the main wire or rope section tofasten thek not in position; and Figs. 20 and 21 show, respectively, aface and edge view of a disk form of knot having two openings separatedby a center or bar, the rope or wire passing through one of theopenings, and a short piece having its ends wound around the main wireeach side of the knot, passing through the other opening to fasten theknot in a firm and secure manner.

All of these several forms of construction shown have central openingsseparated by a partition or bar, and the rope or cord is passed throughthe openings in such manner as to bear against the center piece or barand retain the knot in proper position and prevent it getting out ofplace. This mode of attachment is very simple and cheap, and requires nospecial skill to secure the knots to'the wire so as not to yield in useand have them operate in an eliicient and proper manner.

In operation, when the machine is traveling across the field in thedirection for the rope to engage the lever B, that lever with thesection A of the shaft alone will lie-operated; and when the machine istraveling in the direction to have the rope engage the lever B, thatlever,

with the section A of the shaft alone will be operated, for the reasonthat the two shafts are disjoined at their center, so as to operateindependent one of the other and yet do their work effectually. As thelever B is advanced by the engagement of the cord-knottherewith the Lportion thereof 0 will be raised and the link cand crankfwillbecorrespondingly raised, which movement will revolve the shaft-section,and the inner end of the shaft, through its pin, will rock the center orhead G by reason of the engagement of the pin withthe shoulder m. Thismovement of the center or head raises or advances the arm 9, causing thelatch H to be advanced, and such movement of the latch will, through theengagement of its inner end with one of the pins IL, advance the WheelJ, which wheel in turn rotates the wheel K and gives a reciprocatingmovement to the seedslide bar; and these movements will continue untilthe end of the field in that direction is reached. When the machinereturns and the rope or wire engages the lever B, that lever willoperate its shaft-section, and through it the center or head G, latch H,and wheel J. The center or head is returned after each advance by theaction of the spring or spring-arm S, bringing the parts into positionfor the next cord-knot to act on the lever and operate the severalparts.

By dividing the shaft into two sections, each acting independent of theother from their respective levers or arms, one side with its deviceswill be inoperative, while the other is in use, decreasing the amount offriction to that extent and enabling the work to be performed from oneside of the planter at a time without disturbing the other side.

I do not broadly claim operating the seedslide by means of a dividedshaft provided at the outer ends with check-cord levers, when theadjacent ends of the shaft-sections are supported in a loose sleevehaving a miter-wheel gearing with a similar wheelon acam-shaft, the camson which operate a depending bar connected with the seed-slide, so thatwhen either part of said divided shaft is rotated the sleeve is operatedand the seed-slide moved.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is asfollows:

1. In acheck-row corn-planter, a check-cord lever, B, composed ofsections, and having its upper section pivoted to swing transversely,for maintaining the proper relation between the lever and thecheck-cord, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In a cheek-row eorn'planter, the combination, with the shaft composedof two sections. having near their adjoining ends the lateral pins a a,of the reciprocating head or block G, sustained by and encircling theinner ends of the shaft-sections, and provided with openings L l, forreceiving the lateral pins, said head or block being connected withmechanism for moving the seed-slide, and with means for retracting itafter being advanced by one or both sections of the shaft, substantiallyas described.

3. In a check-row corn-planter, the combination, with a shaft composedof two sections, having at their outer ends the cranksf, and near theirinner ends the lateral pins a, of the head or block G, sustained by andencircling the adjoining ends of the shaft-sections, and having theopenings 1 l, to receive the lateral pins a, and the check-cord leversconnected with the cranksf, as described, the said head or block havingan arm,g, connected with mechanism which operates the seed-slide, andwith an arm, a, connected with means to retract the head or block afterit has been advanced by one or both sections of the shaft, substantiallyas set forth.

at. In a check-row corn-planter, a reciprocating head or block operatedfrom either end of a divided shaft and connected with a latch or pushbar, H, in combination with the strap I and the wheel J, having theupward-projectin g pins It, said strap being connected with the latch orpush bar, and all arranged substantially as described, whereby the wheelis advanced at regular intervals and uniform distances, as set forth.

5. In a check-row corn-planter, the combi- 5 nation of the reciprocatinghead or block Gr, connected with the latch or push bar H, with the strapI, the Wheel J, having the upwardprojecting pins h, and the wheel K,eccentrically connected with the seed-slide bar, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a check-row corn-planter, the divided sections A A of the shaft,the check-cord levers or arms B B, links 0, cranks f, head or block G,and spring S, in combination with 1 the latch or push bar H, wheel J,having pins h, wheel K, having the crank-pin k, strap L, and seed-slidebar M, all constructed and operating substantially as and for thepurposes specified.

7. The check-cord knot or ball herein described, constructed with acentral cross-piece or partition, having on its opposite sides theopenings for the passage of the check-cord, said cross-piece orpartition forming a bridge for the cord, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

BYRON PHELPS. Witnesses:

THOMAS WILsON, THERON W. WHITMAN.

